1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an information processing apparatus, and specifically relates to a technology for controlling usage of an information processing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
An environment is available in which a plurality of devices, such as multifunction products (MFP) or laser printers, are connected to a network, and users are allowed to use those devices after user authentication is performed in an authentication server. In such an environment, the authentication server manages information about the users, which user is allowed to use which device, which user is allowed to use which function on which device, and the like.
In some cases, devices may be used not only by users who are managed by the authentication server but by other users who are not managed by the authentication server, within a range of respective use permission. For example, there may be a situation where anybody is permitted to use a copy function in an MFP, while only authentic users may be permitted to use a scan transmission function for transmitting scanned data to other devices via a network, or a facsimile transmission function. However, the available number of users to be managed in a server and the available number of users to be managed in devices, such as an MFP, often vary from each other. Therefore, various limitations are inevitably posed on management and control of such devices.
For counteracting above problems, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-325881 discloses a conventional technology for managing user information. In the conventional technology, a server manages user information of users designated to use devices in above system environments, and the server updates user information managed by an information management device when the user information in the server is changed.
However, in the conventional technology, a lot of memory space is required if the number of users increases.